BY SHERRY CONOHAN
Staff Writer
WEST LONG BRANCH — Voters will be asked to approve a Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP) for the borough’s volunteer firefighters and first aid squad members.
The Borough Council, at its July 7 meeting, introduced a proposed ordinance to place the LOSAP program on the Nov. 2 ballot. A public hearing on the measure is scheduled for Aug. 4.
If approved, the program would apply only to active members of the fire department or first aid squad. Each member would have to accrue 50 points a year for their service in order to qualify for a contribution to be made to the retirement fund on their behalf.
The proposal provides for a contribution of $1,150 per member, the maximum allowed under the state law establishing the program. The ordinance says the estimated annual cost of the program is $92,000. That is based on 55 eligible volunteers in the fire department, at $1,150 each, for a total of $63,250, and 25 eligible volunteers in the first aid squad at $1,150 each for $28,750.
Points would be awarded for continuing education courses, training courses, drills, elected or appointed positions, company meetings, fire or first aid calls, storm standbys and the like.
The $1,150 a year is deposited into a tax-deferred retirement income account which will earn interest for the volunteer. There are no cost of living increases provided for in the ordinance, meaning another ordinance would have to be introduced and passed to increase the contribution.
The ordinance says the borough "deems it appropriate and necessary" to establish the program to ensure the retention of existing volunteer members of the fire department and first aid squad and to provide an incentive for recruiting new volunteers.
The council discussed establishing a LOSAP program a year ago, but couldn’t pull the details together in time to get an ordinance passed early enough to put the question on the ballot.
Only three council members were eligible to vote on the LOSAP ordinance — William R. Deisinger, Joseph C. Woolly and William J. Boglioli. The other three either are members, or have relatives who are members, of the fire department or first aid squad.
Boglioli was absent from the meeting, but Borough Attorney Gregory S. Baxter held that because Deisinger and Woolley were a majority of the quorum of the three eligible to vote, their votes could introduce the measure. But he said all three had to be there on the final vote to pass it.
The council also introduced an ordinance appropriating $512,325 for various capital improvements and authorizing the issuance of $486,708.75 in bonds to help pay for them.
A public hearing on the ordinance will be held Aug. 4.
The capital improvements to be financed are $115,000 for improvements to the old borough hall on Poplar Avenue; $266,800 for improvements to various roads, including but not limited to Golf Street; $57,500 for installation of concrete curbs and sidewalks along various roads; $40,250 for acquisition of communication equipment; $20,125 for acquisition of mobile video cameras; and $12,650 for acquisition of extrication rescue equipment.
In other action, the council authorized an auction at 10 a.m. on July 24 of bicycles and other property which has been abandoned or confiscated that now is in possession of the police department. There also may be some vehicles available for sale at the auction.
The auction will be held at the borough garage storage yard located in Valenzano Park on Wall Street. The items must be paid for by cash or a certified check in the amount of the purchase price.
The council also reappointed Baxter as the borough attorney. His new contract provides that he will be paid a salary of $42,743 plus $125 an hour for legal work above the routine.
His salary last year was $41,000.
Mayor Paul Zambrano appointed Tobi Graff to a five-year term as a trustee of the West Long Branch Public Library.